Book: The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam
Author: Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal
Six
lectures of Allama Iqbal were included in 1930 and 7th was added in
1934.
Chapters:
1. Knowledge and Religious
Experience
2. The Philosophical Test of the Revelations
of Religious Experience
3. The Conception of God and the
Meaning of Prayer
4. The Human Ego – His Freedom and
Immortality
5. The Spirit of Muslim Culture
6. The Principle of Movement in the
Structure of Islam (Ijtihad)
7. Is Religion Possible?
In
these lectures, Iqbal answered to the West and liberal Muslims, who were
impressed by the Western culture and modernism. This book was written is impressive
and technical English style to convince the liberals. It was not for common
Muslims, for them he wrote in Urdu and Persian. He gave western notable
scientists and founding fathers of the liberal and secular political
philosophy, upon which the constitution of the West stands, saying that
science and religion is not different and opposite, but interconnected. One day
they will form a similarity. He proved that no nation can achieve the highest
position in civilization, humanity, development and peace, until accepting the
Religion. Religion is the panacea of all the evils. It is the need of time to reconstruct
the religious thought in its true sense. He further state that there is
necessity to purify the Muslims to make strong Muslim nations on the golden
principles of Islam. Then these Muslims nations would make an alliance to
secure the interest of the Muslima Ummah.
Note: Below is the discussion of sixth
chapter (lecture).
Ijtihad: literal meaning – physical or
mental effort. In Islamic legal term, it is the independent reasoning by a
jurist in finding the solution of a problem. It is a religious duty of qualified
jurists to find the solution of a problem which has not solution in Quran,
Hadith and Ijma. A person who has deep knowledge of; Arabic grammar, Quran along
with its nasikh o mansokh, Hadith and its attributes, confirming and having
knowledge of the Ijma of Pious Caliphs and Mujtahideen of past to avoid
conflict, fully aware of Maqasid-e-Sharia, having logic, sincerity and good characteristics.
Muslim
world was occupied by the Western powers throughout the 19th and 20th
century. One group (liberals) from Muslims, blamed the conservative approach
towards the Islam and advocated for the modernism. Other group (religious
scholars) though the modernism a threat to the Islamic basic ideology and
confined themselves to the conservative traditions. Allama M. Iqbal proposed a
middle way for the Muslims. He rejected both of the ideas. He said that liberal
Muslim are true in saying that modernisms is mandatory, but are deviated from
the right path by adopting the western culture and ideology in the name of
modernism. And, conservative religious scholars are right is sticking towards
the conservatism because rationalist movements in past like “Mu’tazila” were
very dangerous for the basic Islamic ideology. But in contemporary world, it
became the first priority to go to modernism when western influence in
engulfing the Muslim world and basic Islamic ideology. In Iqbal’s sense,
modernism in Islam must be introduced “Ijtihad”, as a legal way to find the
solution of the Muslim world backwardness.
Iqbal
was against to the notion, that, “door of ijtihad has been closed”. During the
pious Caliphate ijtihad has been workable and was done by the Caliphs to solve
the upcoming problems. In Umayyad and Abbasid dynasty, ijtihad was transferred
to individuals. Because they though that religious scholars will hold a strong
position in government. In 13th century, there was a consensus among
Muslim scholars that door of ijtihad is closed because of some reasons;
establishment of four schools of thought (Hanafi, Shafai, Hanbali, Maliki), use
of ijtihad by Muslim rulers for self-interest and rationalist movements in
Islam like “Mu’tazila”. Iqbal further explained that Muslims lagged behind of
Science and Technology due to the burning of Muslim educational heritage by
Halaku Khan, after the siege of Baghdad in 1258.
Iqbal
proposed the usage of Ijtihad by a legislative assembly. This ijtihad would be
not related to basic and permanent obligations of Islam, but of worldly affairs,
which are changed according to the time and society. There would be religious
scholars among public representatives to provide help in Islamic legal matters.
Islamic Law has four sources; Quran, Hadith, Ijma and Qiyas. Quran is the basic
and principal source of the Islamic law and is applicable for all ages, whereas
Hadith as a secondary source is not totally applicable in all conditions in
contemporary world. Ijma is best to be used in form of legislative assembly,
where public representatives having deep knowledge of Islam, noble personality
and well aware about the contemporary issues to the Muslim world, with the help
of religious scholars.
He
was Iqbal, who convinced M. Ali Jinnah to come back from England to lead the
Muslims of the Sub-continent, after the later was disappointed. Jinnah had deep
respect for Allam M. Iqbal. Iqbal passed away before the fulfilment of his
dream of Muslim state and to practice his idea of legislative assembly
practicing Ijtihad to make Pakistan a great Muslim nation in the world. After
the birth of Pakistan, Jinnah founded only two departments; ISI – for the physical
security of Pakistan and, Department of Islamic Reconstruction – for the
solution of complicated issue with guidance from Islam. It was the influence of
Iqbal, that Jinnah founded the Department of Islamic Reconstruction. But sadly,
after the demise of Liaqat Ali Khan, head of the department was moved from his
post, to whom this sacred duty was assigned by M.A. Jinnah.
(This article covers the all question in the Political Science Past papers regarding Muslim Political Thought related to Allama Muhammad Iqbal and his book Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam and his theory/concept of Ijtihad and renaissance of Muslims.)